The short answer
You can afford the concert when the complete event cost fits after bills, protected savings, and your chosen emergency buffer—and the lower daily number afterward still feels workable.
The question is not whether concerts are a "bad use" of money. It is what this concert replaces.
Start with the all-in price
Use the total shown before payment, including mandatory fees. Then add the costs outside the ticket platform: transit, gas, parking, hotel, meals, childcare or pet care, and a deliberate merchandise amount if you expect to spend one.
If you are buying two tickets, enter what you personally will pay after any confirmed repayment. "My friend will probably send it later" should be tested as a second scenario, not treated as money already received.
A daily number makes the tradeoff concrete
Suppose the full night costs $520 and there are 20 days left in the month. The purchase removes $26 per remaining day from the flexible money available across that period.
That does not mean you must cut exactly $26 every day. It means the event has a visible consequence. You can decide whether the experience is worth that change, whether to wait for another date, or whether to save separately first.
Tickets create urgency on purpose
Sales, queues, and limited inventory compress the decision. Decide your all-in ceiling before entering the queue. If the available seats exceed it, leaving is not losing money or missing a bargain. It is following the decision you made before the countdown began.
Do not assume resale will recover the full amount. Unless a refund is guaranteed, treat the purchase as final in the affordability calculation.
How to read your result
Fits your current plan means the complete night leaves commitments protected and the new daily amount works for you.
Possible, but tight means the result remains positive but the event takes a large share of the flexible money left. Check every fee and transport cost before paying.
Save first means the event date allows enough time to set aside the remaining amount. The page should show the amount per payday.
Creates a gap means buying now would use money already needed elsewhere. A cheaper seat, lower surrounding costs, a later show, or more saving time can be tested instantly.
